A Sabic plant in Jubail Industrial City.

US engineering firm Bechtel will continue rendering management services at Jubail and Ras Al Khair industrial cities.

The company signed a contract extension with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and said it was proud to be associated with the Jubail project, the world’s largest single industrial development scheme. It elaborated that Jubail was a unique city built from the sand up and required vast resources and logistical planning on an unprecedented scale.

The company has worked with the Royal Commission on the Jubail project since it began in the mid-1970s.

The Royal Commission hailed the partnership with Bectel.

“Bechtel is a key part of our team and they have played a major role in helping us to plan and implement the growth of Jubail and Ras Al Khair,” remarked Dr Mosleh Al Otaibi, Royal Commission for Jubail chief executive.

“With their help and partnership we will continue to develop these cities which support Saudi Arabia’s economy.” 

Petrochemical and other industrial complexes as well as a port, telecommunications facility and a highway system are housed in Jubail Industrial City which spans 1,016 km.

Jubail and Ras Al Khair currently employ some 140,000 people, the figure predicted to rise to 190,000 by 2021.

Over the next five years, Bechtel’s work will focus on providing residential accommodation and education facilities such as an 18,000-student greenfield university as well as roads, bridges, medical centres and power, water and wastewater facilities, said a top Bechtel official.

“Jubail is one of the world’s iconic engineering projects,”remarked Toby Seay, president of Bechtel’s global infrastructure business.

“We’re delighted to build on our successful, longstanding relationship with the Royal Commission, which is based on a strong, collaborative partnership,” he added.